Credit unions, with their favorable interest rates and low fees, can be good alternatives to big commercial banks. But if you're an investor looking for a one-stop shop, you may shun them for their lack of online stock trading services. Well, don't: Many now offer online brokerage accounts, too.

Financial services companies have a habit of publishing "special reports on women and investing," and their conclusions tend to describe women in less-than-flattering terms. But a new TD Ameritrade study once again shows why such stereotypes totally miss the mark.

AIG's successful run of getting lawsuits against it dismissed has ended. On Monday, U.S. District Judge Laura Taylor Swain gave the green light to a securities fraud class action case regarding AIGs credit default swap portfolio and its actions in the subprime mortgage market.

In Monday's legal news, Prudential is being investigated for the way it handles death benefits to soldiers' families and a U.S. district judge continues his efforts on behalf of 9/11 workers by rejecting their lawyers' requests for additional fees.

Thanks to the financial crisis, 401(k) investors have gone from passive to take-charge. As the market swung wildly over the past two years, account holders shifted in and out of stocks, raised their bond holdings and made more use of investor tools, among other changes.